Elyssya Sample Story
by Jennifer Sweetz
Summary: I am not an elf' At least that was what Elyssya thought until her father told her she wasn't his own. She is soon thrown into a world of magic and must figure out who she is, where she is from, and where she belongs. This is actual book excerpts.
1. Prolouge

A/N: because of a high volume of wanting a sample of my book, here is the prologue and the first few chapters.

**Prologue**

**T**he castle stood eminent and powerful against the blood red sky,

and it seemed to dare anyone to try and conquer it. The moat around

the castle was dark and murky, with the slightest twitch of a ripple

to indicate that there was something lurking beneath the top of the

water. Suddenly, a carriage pulled up to the castle, and a tall, stringy

figure climbed out. As the manservant looked about, he gestured,

and another figure emerged from the carriage. This one was tall also,

and had black, dingy hair and an ominous smile.

He followed his manservant into the castle's gatehouse, and

looked up at the two massive round towers that loomed above him,

and seemed to slice the sky in half like a rusty old butcher knife. As

they made their way inside, the man looked into the faces of the

soldiers that stood guard over the battlement's ground level. He

stopped and took one last look behind him. He saw the land beyond,

dismal and sullen. In the distance he could make out peasants

attempting to revive their crop that he had killed out of spite. The

people had refused him shelter, thus bringing his wrath upon them.

He looked towards the sky and a small smirk crept onto his face.

_This is going to be a great year_, he thought as they made their way

further into the castle. When they reached the entrance hall past the

gatehouse, the man dismissed his manservant with a quick snap of

his fingers. The servant hurried back outside, and went to retrieve the

bags.

"Ah, good evening sir," said a servant approaching the King.

"Shin'ero, go and get me the General in charge," the King said.

The servant bowed, "As you wish."

A few minutes later, the manservant returned with the General.

The General was tall, broad shouldered, and had a mass of red hair

on his head. As he walked into the room, it gained a respectable

silence that seemed to hover around him like fairies around a flower.

He stopped before the king and bowed.

"Your Highness," the General said in his scruffy voice.

The King nodded. "Tell me, General, how is the 'Purification'

going?"

"Ah, very well, sir. As we speak my boys are getting rid of the

Elven City."

"Good," the King smiled, "Make sure there are no survivors. If

even a baby gets away, and escapes the execution, your head will

be on my wall."

The General looked down, than back up at the king. He studied

his face, hoping to see some sign of sarcastic attitude but there was

nothing on the king's face to put the General at ease. He nodded, and

left with the threat still fresh in his mind.

*** * ***

Her heart pounded in her chest. Her feet pressed against the

ground as she ran, and made her way to the city where her family and

friends were. She was terrified of what she learned; she only hoped

she could get there in time. The creatures were closing in on her, but

it only made her run faster. She gracefully darted between trees, and

missed the branches on the ground that would have made the

slightest noise.

Her heart started pounding harder as she turned down the road

that led up to the city. She smelled smoke and ashes in the air. When

she reached the hilltop, her worries turned to reality. A scream

erupted from her lips as she ran down the hill to her city, which was

enflamed, with the flames licking the sky. She felt no need to check

the houses because she felt that everyone was dead.

All of a sudden, hope cried from one of the houses, and the

woman ran into her sister's house. She followed the cry up the stairs,

and into her baby niece's room. A small smile spread across the

woman's lips when she saw her sister's new born, alive, well, and

crying in the crib, which was tipped over. She grabbed the bundle

of blankets, gently, and held the child close to her. She looked at the

baby, and saw no marks, only her cute little nose, mouth, and her

ears, which were not yet pointed in the usual elven way.

Suddenly, there was a big crash downstairs, and the woman

heard the grunts of the creatures, searching for her, using her scent.

Her first idea was to go downstairs, and sneak past them, but worry

flooded through her mind when she looked at the baby. There was

only one thing she could do. She had to get out of there, safely. She

hugged the baby to her chest, and opened the window. The house

began creaking as she climbed outside of the house, through the

window. Soon she was running across the roof, looking for a way

to get onto the ground without hurting the baby or herself. Suddenly,

she saw a way that she could jump off of the building, and land

without hurting the baby.

The only thing wrong about it was that if she did jump, she would

need to land on her back, to shield the baby from harm. It could

break a couple of ribs,

even though she would land in the wagon of bags, containing old

clothing for the dwarves. Suddenly the creatures were upstairs in the

baby's room. She could tell by their excited weird speech, that they

could smell the baby. She panicked and did the one thing that she

could do. She jumped.

*** * ***

Sebastian had been standing on the porch when the woman had

come into view. Her clothes were torn in certain spots, and she was

carrying a bundle of blankets. All Sebastian could think was the fact

that she looked terrified. He frowned, and ran up to her, trying to see

if she was okay.

"Sweetie, where are you going?" his wife, Sonya, called.

"Just over to that woman to see if she's all right," he called over

his shoulder, finally reaching the woman.

The first thing that came to his mind when he was close to her was

that she smelled like some sort of herb. Then he caught a whiff of

smoke and ash. The bottom of her dress was scorched, and she

looked as if she was in pain when she walked. When the woman saw

Sebastian, she paled, and looked like she was going to faint.

"Oie bisentio oya!" she called, while she held the bundle closer.

Her voice sounded like music when she spoke.

"Listen, I don't know what you said, but I swear on the life of the

king that I will not hurt you, okay?" Sebastian said, taking a step

closer.

"Doi'uh awi'on dio oya!" She yelled at him, in the same, musical

voice, with a hint of fear in it.

Sebastian put his hands on the woman's shoulders, and held her

there as she tried to break free. She looked up at him with the

greenest eyes that he had ever looked into. Relief flooded into her

eyes as they stared at each other. Than she put the bundle into his

arms. When she drew her hands away, he felt something move within

the blanket.

"Roti'cie kel mod'encieut," she said, backing away.

Sebastian looked down at the bundle, and saw that it wasn't a

bundle of blankets, but a baby. He frowned and looked up, trying

to figure out why she gave him her baby. He sucked in a breath, when

he saw her, she had fallen to the ground. She was laying there with

her hair off of one pointed ear. She was an elf.

_No wonder I couldn't understand her_, he thought. "Ma'am?

Are you all right?"

When she didn't move, Sebastian got worried. He thought elves

were supposed to be happy and alive, but this one was terrified, and

hurt. He didn't know what was wrong.

Suddenly, there was a shout from the way the elf had come. It

cried, "She went this way!"

Sebastian did not have time to react. He looked down at the elf,

and saw that she was looking at him.

"Roti'cie kel mod'encieut. Doniut ' iy keloind sind'ue hui'ok te'i

feria. Oiun'ce!" The elf said, desperately.

"I don't know what you are saying!" Sebastian said as he kneeled

next to her.

Unexpectedly, she grabbed his arm, and all went black. Then he

could see again. Only it was somewhere he had never been. It was

a wondrous city, made of copper and silver. There were many of the

elf's people there. Soon the vision shifted to see an elf that stood out

amongst the crowded street. She was tall, brown-haired, and had

hazel eyes with a touch of green on the outside. In her arms was a

baby.

Then that picture disappeared, and in its place was the same city,

only it was burning, and no one was about. His vision started moving,

heading for a specific house that be on fire. Somehow, before they

entered, both he and the elf knew that the occupants were dead.

Suddenly, he heard crying. A baby was crying. Then everything went

black again. When he came to, the elf was lying down still, and he

was still in the yard in front of his home. The elf's hand fell away, and

he knew that she was gone. He sat up, and held the baby close to

himself. He moved the top blanket, and looked at a face that made

his heart stop. The baby was no more than a few weeks old, but it

did not have the distinctive ears that an elf was suppose to have. But

he knew, regardless of that one fact, that this child was indeed an elf.

He turned from the elf and made his way back to the porch where

his wife was waiting. He recalled the many tales that he had heard

about elves, and how they had a reputation for either bring good luck

to the family, or bad luck. To him, this was bad luck. It presented

another mouth to feed, and more money to spend. It was the exact

opposite to his wife. She couldn't have children, so she would see

it as a dream that had come true.

"Hey, you! Stop!" said a call from behind Sebastian.

He turned to see three of the king's guards leaving the group that

was surrounding the elf, and coming towards him. "May I be of some

service, gentlemen?"

"You may. What is that you are holding?"

"What? Oh, a baby."

"Whose baby?" said the smallest officer, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Ours," said someone from behind Sebastian.

Sebastian turned to see his wife standing there. "Yes, this is our

child," he said.

"Are you sure about that? I could have sworn that you had been

given that bundle," said the tallest guard, pointing to the baby, then

pointing over his shoulder, concluding, "by that woman-creature."

"No, I gave birth to her not too long ago," said Sonya, taking the

baby from Sebastian.

"All right then. If you see anything odd, please contact us, all

right?" said the guard, still almost unconvinced.

"Yes, sir," said Sonya.

Later that night, Sonya and Sebastian sat at the kitchen table,

looking at the baby sleeping peacefully in a small makeshift crib. It

looked so beautiful laying there, dreaming dreams that will soon be

forgotten. Sebastian looked at his wife and sighed.

"Sonya, we cannot keep the child," he said, his eyes filled with

repentance, "We have no idea where he came from really, and

whether or not he really belonged to that elf. For all we know, she

could have taken him from a loving family as an omen on their crops

or their future families."

Sonya looked at him. "It's a 'she' not a 'he'."

"Who cares? We are not keeping him, or her, or whatever it is!"

"And why not?"

"It's another mouth to feed," Sebastian said, counting them off on

his fingers, "it could be a bad omen for us, and if this child _is _an elf,

then we could be arrested for having her under our roof. You know

that the king hates the elves!"

"We don't even know if she is an elf, Sebastian! What if she isn't?

Are we still going to cast her out into the world? You wouldn't be

acting like this if a human woman had given you this baby, instead of

an elf!"

"We do not need another mouth to feed!"

"You know the tales! If an elf gives a gift to your family, it's

supposed to bring good fortune to you. Why just the other day I

heard-"

"It could not only be good fortune! It could also be a bad omen!"

Sebastian said, cutting her off.

Sebastian looked at her face, and saw that his words had hurt her.

He could tell that she really wanted this baby. He looked away from

her, and looked down at the sleeping baby. The natural beauty of the

baby almost brought a smile to his lips, but he quickly turned away

to hinder such an action. Finally, he laid his eyes back on his wife.

"All right, we can give it a few years. If nothing bad happens, then

we'll keep her," Sebastian said to his hopeful wife's face. Then he

added sternly, "But the first sign of any bad luck what so ever, she's

gone. I don't care if it was one bad harvest or one of us getting hurt.

Do you understand?"

"Yes!" aid Sonya, pulling him into her arms.

"Okay, but she's your responsibility. I want no part in the matter."

"Don't you worry! She is my responsibility. Oh, I've always

wanted to be a mother!"

Sebastian watched her walk over to where the baby was resting.

She scooped the child up into her arms, and walked down the hall,

softly singing to her new daughter. Sebastian smiled in spite of

himself, and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. He knew that

this would bring major change to the household, and that all of their

profits would be dried up from having such a young mouth to feed.

He knew they would keep the child, even if she were an elf. His wife

would get attached and beg and plead.

He stood up from the table, and made his way to the counter,

where his wife had sat the freshly brewed tea. He poured himself a

cupful, and shook his head. He would need to clean out the storage

room down the hall to create a room for the child. He smiled to

himself thinking about it.

*** * ***

"Sir, the entire village has been terminated," said a messenger, as

he handed the report to the king.

The King looked it over, and nodded. "Good. Are you sure that

not a single elven soul has survived?"

"The General gave me his word. He should be here shortly."

Outside, the King heard horses ride up, and he heard the

General's muffled, "Ho!" as the horses came to a stop. The

messenger looked at the King, wondering if he was excused. The

King dismissed the messenger, and soon he was alone. He looked

over to his desk, and saw the pendulum that the witch had given him.

She had claimed that the pendulum could tell if a certain people, or

species, was still in existence. All he had to do was think of the race

as he spun it. If it spun fast, then stopped, the people were all dead.

If it managed to restart, even just the faintest back and forth swing,

than one had survived. The King thought of elves, and tapped the

weight of the pendulum. The pendulum began to swing back and

forth. The air in the room was chilly, and had a feeling of loss to it.

The King frowned as it began to swing faster. Soon it slowed and

came to a complete stop. The King smiled, because he believed that

no elf had survived. Then it gave a small swing, just big enough to

symbolize the heartbeat of a small child, or baby. When the King saw

this, he roared in rage, threw the pendulum against the wall, and went

charging out the door, calling for the General.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

**A New Friend**

**I **_**hate days like today**_, thought Elÿssÿa as she pulled her long

hair back. Her hair was the color of chestnuts, and only halfway

down her back. Out of every woman and girl in the village, Elÿssÿa

was the only one who had to wear her hair down. She was also the

prettiest amongst them all. The day was still early and new, and

already it was warm out. Elÿssÿa had gone walking out into the forest

outside her home, knowing she would need to pull her hair back, to

avoid discomfort. At that thought, Elÿssÿa reached into her apron

pocket and took out her only hair tie, one that she had taken from

her mother upon asking.

Elÿssÿa remembered the first time she had asked for the hair tie.

Her mother had told her to not let her father see it, and to only pull

her hair back if she was sure she was absolutely alone. As if on cue

of the thought, she looked around. She saw the trees, standing over

her, and a twig snapped. She turned startled, only to find a dog

staring at her. Elÿssÿa narrowed her eyes at the dog, wondering what

it wanted. The dog was a nice large size, maybe weighing eighty

pounds at the least. It's gold fur cascaded across its back, giving it

the perplexing look of a small river rippling along the animal's skin.

Elÿssÿa smiled, somehow knowing she was not in danger, and tied

her hair back, revealing pointed ears.

"Good boy, Shanks, I believe you've found an elf."

Elÿssÿa turned towards the voice, alarmed. What she saw was

a young man, about her age with dark blond hair, pale blue eyes, and

completely clad in black. Together with his looks, the boy gave off

a ghostly air when she looked into his eyes. When he smiled at her,

she did the only thing she could do. She ran.

Elÿssÿa called forth reflexes she did not know she had. She

effortlessly dodged trees, leaped over rocks and branches, and

made her way to…to…to where? Suddenly, she stopped, knowing

that she knew where she was going, but she had no idea _where _her

destination was. She stopped confused with her own subconscious.

"Hey now, you did not have to run. I wasn't going to hurt you."

Elÿssÿa turned towards the boy, who had seemingly caught up to

her, even though he was out of breath.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. I was just bored rigid, so I allowed Shanks to lead me

into the forest. Now I regret doing that," the boy said, frowning as

he looked at all the trees.

"And why is that?"

"He got me lost, so I told him to bring me to someone who could

help us get out. I never knew he would bring me to an elf. I didn't even

think you guys were still around."

"Listen, I can get you out of here, but you need to stop calling me

an elf," Elÿssÿa stated simply.

"Why? You are one. Just look at your ears."

"How can I be an elf? I live with my mother and father in the town

Chic'ton. There is no way I can be an elf. Besides, there are no more

elves."

"Except for you."

"Quit calling me an elf!"

"You fit all the characteristics. You're beautiful, tall, slender, _and_

you have the pointed ears. Just because humans raised you doesn't

mean that you yourself are human. Don't fight the facts, darling."

"First of all, my name's Elÿssÿa, not darling. Second, I AM NOT

AN ELF! I grew up here, and I went to the school just down the

road, south of my home. There is no way I can be an elf, they do not

exist anymore."

"Hey, just because you went to school, lived on a farm, and were

raised by humans does not mean you are not an elf. Anyway, they

still do exist."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Well, for one there's you, and two, the King is still on his mad

search and rampage for about the sixteenth year now."

"So? Someone started a rumor and he is trying to check it out.

That does not mean a thing."

"Believe what you want, Elÿssÿa," The boy said. He smiled and

continued, "My name's Merlock, and my dog's name is Shanks."

The dog tilted his head, as if to acknowledge that fact. Finally,

Elÿssÿa let her guards come down, and she took a step towards

Merlock. "Look, if you really want to leave, then I will help you, but

don't call me an elf again."

"As you wish, my dear," Merlock said, patting Shanks on the

head. Elÿssÿa rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

They almost did not talk the whole time they were in the forest.

Elÿssÿa took turns around trees and wove in between them trying to

find the way out. She wasn't worried that they'd get lost, because

she knew the woods like the back of her hand. Then her curiosity got

a hold of her.

"So, where are you from? I've never seen you before."

"Oh, here and there. Shanks and I do not really have a home.

We're mostly on the run," Merlock retorted, looking around.

"On the run from what?"

"The kingdom."

"The _Kingdom_? I've never heard of anything called that."

"It's also known as the empire. Honestly, don't you ever read?"

"No. I can't."

"What? I though you went to school?"

"I did, but not for long. I only learned to write a little bit, but all

I can write is my own name."

"Wellthen, IguessIwillneedtoteachyousometime, tosaythankyou."

"You don't have to, it's not like I'll ever use it."

"You don't know that. I mean, you may get curious about your

heritage. I know of a few books on elves."

"Oh, don't you ever give up?"

"Uh, no. If I ever gave up I might get caught, and we can't afford

that. I'm all Shanks' has got, and he's all I have got."

"Well, still…I feel uncomfortable when you call me that. I have

never even seen an elf. I doubt you have."

"Well, maybe I have, maybe I haven't."

"What kind of answer is that? Do you enjoy beating around the

bush?"

"Yes. I love to confuse people," Merlock answered smiling.

"Oh come on! Seriously, have you seen a living breathing elf

before?"

"Well, no…but I have seen an elf."

"Wait a minute, you are making no sense…how can you see an

elf, but not a living breathing elf?"

"Easy, I came across one just south of here about five years ago.

The soldiers had the body, and dumped it on the side of the road to

avoid having to bury the body. I buried it, because I believed that it

needed an equitable burial."

"Oh. Well, I guess that counts…"

Suddenly Elÿssÿa stopped. She was facing her house, but the

horse of the town doctor was grazing out front. Elÿssÿa must have

paled as she let her hair down, because Merlock was looking at her

inquisitively.

"What's wrong?" he asked, directing his vision towards the

house.

Abruptly, Elÿssÿa ran down the hill and straight into her home.

Merlock tried to catch up with her, but her urgency made her run at

an inhuman speed. When she entered, her father was sitting on the

couch in the front room, apprehensively looking around. He saw

Elÿssÿa, and managed a faint flicker of a smile. The smile

disappeared as he looked beyond her. Elÿssÿa turned and saw that

Merlock was standing behind her.

"Can I help you?" Sebastian said, anxiously.

"No, I was with Elÿssÿa," Merlock answered simply, "Is

everything all right?"

Just then, the back door opened, and the doctor came out.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"She doesn't have much strength left. That wild dog seemed to

get the best of her."

"Can she still talk?"

"Yes, but her voice is very faint. Right now she only wants one

thing."

"Does she want to see me?"

"You and Elÿssÿa," the doctor said simply, with sadness in his

eyes.

The curtains were drawn in the room, giving it a dismal look.

Elÿssÿa looked around the room, and her green eyes stopped on her

mother. She was lying there; the covers pulled up far enough to cover

her wounds. When her eyes found Elÿssÿa, she smiled.

"Child," she said in a voice that was so faint, it seemed to use

energy out side her body as well.

"Yes mother?"

"Take care of the farm for your father, and keep him out of

trouble," Her mother took a few breaths, struggling to speak, "And

you need to keep safe, too."

"I will mother, I promise. But don't talk like this. You will get well,

I am sure of it."

"Honey, I am not as young as I was, and this dog took the best

of me, I am afraid. Just remember your first family no matter what

happens, dear."

"I will Mother, I love you so much."

"I know, I love you too. Sebastian," she said, reaching for her

husband.

He slowly walked over to Sonya, gently grabbing her hand.

There was so much love in his eyes for his wife. He stroked her hair

as he bent close in order to hear her request of him.

"Sebastian, take care of Elÿssÿa, and keep her safe from the

Union. You need to tell her the truth. Please, Sebastian."

"I will, I promise."

Later that night, Sonya passed on to the next life quietly. Elÿssÿa

made dinner that night for her father and Merlock. Merlock ate

gratefully, but her father could only poke at his food. This worried

Elÿssÿa. Finally, her father broke the silence.

"So, Elÿssÿa, how did you meet…erm…" Sebastian broke off,

looking at Merlock.

"Merlock," he said, slowly.

"Yes. Merlock?"

"I was in the forest, north of our home, walking through the

woods. I accidentally ran into him."

"Does he know, um, about your." Sebastian cut off, pointing to

his ears.

"What? Her ears? Yeah, I know they are pointed," Merlock

answered, leaning back.

"Really," Sebastian said, covering his face.

"Yeah. She is an elf isn't she?"

Sebastian's head jerks up. "Why?"

"Well, let's see. Pointed ears, beauty, tall, and slender. Yep, an

elf."

"Well, I am not sure if she is."

Elÿssÿa looked at him. "What do you mean? I thought that my

ears were just a birth defect? Now you're saying you don't even

know?"

"Well, Elÿssÿa, your mother and I are not your real parents.

Haven't you wondered why you are so different?"

Elÿssÿa frowned. She had wondered why she was the only one

in town with her shape and beauty. And those cursed ears! Why did

she have to resemble the one creature that the empire resented most?

It was as if someone had cursed her when she had reached the age

of ten. You see, that was the age that her ears had first started to

become pointed, and her body had begun to slim down, and she had

gotten taller.

"If I am not like every one else, than who, or rather _what _am I?"

Sebastian sighed. "Elÿssÿa, I now know that it is time to tell you

the whole truth. About fifteen years ago, your mother and I were out

on the porch, merely just talking. Suddenly, I saw a young woman

running down the hill from the forest. She was strikingly beautiful, tall,

slender, and…and…" Sebastian had to stop and take a breath, and

Elÿssÿa looked at him, "…She was an elf. She was carrying a bundle

of what I thought were blankets, only it was you. The elf-woman died

there, only minutes before the empire's soldiers reached us."

Elÿssÿa tried to sort through this new information. "You mean, I

really am an…an… elf?"

"As far as I know, yes."

Merlock suddenly speaks up. "This means you are in as great

danger as I am. You cannot stay here."

"You…In danger? Why?" Sebastian asked skeptically, looking

Merlock over.

"I am a very powerful person. I wield very great power. Very rare

for my age. My only problem is that I do not know how to tap into

it yet."

"Power?"

"I am a direct descendent of Yas'söan."

"You mean _the _Yas'söan, the sorcerer?"

"The one and only," Merlock answered, looking down.

Elÿssÿa's mind was racing. "Then _that _would make you a

sorcerer!" She said.

"No, no, no. I am not _that _powerful. At least not yet… I am only

a wizard or warlock. Whatever you want to call me."

"So you are a witch," Sebastian cut in.

Merlock looked taken aback. "Not a witch. Witches are usually

female. Plus they are ugly. I AM A WIZARD!"

As if on cue to Merlock's yell, there came a rapping on the door.

Sebastian got up from his seat, and opened it, revealing three

uniformed guards standing there, swords sheathed on their belts.

They each were clothed in the King's symbol, a tiger with it's paw

raised, bringing it down on a tree. The older guard was holding a

sheet of hard, coarse paper.

"Mr. Novo'sia?" The gruffest looking one asked.

"Yes… that… that's me," stammered Sebastian.

"We are here for the arrest of your daughter, Elÿssÿa Növo'sia,

and you seem to have another one of our wanted in your grasp now."

The soldier turned towards Merlock while speaking, "You _are_

Merlock Saf'géd, correct?"

As everyone in the room looked towards him, Merlock's face

paled.


End file.
